Monday, June 30, 2025

Closer to Touching the Sun


How close can we actually get to the Sun? We've been sending probes to the sun since 1951, and have learned a lot before each probe failed or stopped communication. The Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, has the record for the closest approach while still functioning when it got to 3.8 million miles (6.2 million kilometers) from the sun on June 19, 2025. The probe is nearing the end of its planned mission, but since it's still in good shape, NASA plans to let it continue orbiting the sun until next year when they decide what to do with it next. The TED-Ed lesson explains how we've come this close to touching the sun without melting.  


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